


Trading Nine Lives for One

by veselko



Series: Persona 5 Snippets [3]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Brother relationship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Minor Violence, Morgana finally becomes Human, Reincarnation, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-12-01 18:28:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11492142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veselko/pseuds/veselko
Summary: Anon Tumblr Prompt: Do you accept prompt? If yes, can you write this please?Morgana died when the Metaverse disappeared, however, his soul reincarnated in the past as a human and Akira Kurusu’s older brother. His past memories returned when his past self died.





	Trading Nine Lives for One

**Author's Note:**

> Hooman! So sorry for the late prompt fill. College is about to start again in a month, and I had priority registration. Making sure things go smoothly is my aesthetic~!
> 
> Originally, I would think Morgana would be the younger brother, but if you want the older brother...okay. Older brother you’ll get! Also. Fun fact: Morgana means “dweller of the sea,” and Kaito loosely means “ocean.” Also referencing Kaito Kid from Detective Conan, for all my lovely retro anime fans. //wink wink.//

_I don’t want to die._

Kaito Kurusu shook his head slightly to brush off the oncoming migraine. Final exams at Tokyo University were no joke. He spent all week pulling all-nighters and cramming with his dorm mates...only to receive a call from his parents with grave news.

His younger brother was arrested for assault.

Kaito remembered the quiet child that Akira was. He stayed out of everyone’s way, unless confronted or pulled into something. Kaito wanted to ask his parents for more details, ask for a copy of the trial Akira received in court—anything to prove that his baby brother was innocent.

Instead, they told him that Akira would be staying in Tokyo with him. Whether he had room in his life for his brother or not, Akira would be staying with Sojiro Sakura and attending school at the only institution that would allow a criminal to attend. Shujin.

So here he was on an early Sunday morning, driving up his old home town road. He wondered how he was going to greet Akira. Should he be serious? Or should he act like everything was normal? What was considered normal? He hadn’t seen his family in a long time. He hadn’t seen Akira in a long time...he didn’t even remember how their dynamic worked anymore. He could very well say he knew his dorm mate better than he knew his brother right now.

Parking in front of the house, he spotted a familiar mop of black hair coming out of the gates. The glasses were new though. That made Kaito think, what else was new?

“Hey there, frizzy hair. Ruined your eyes playing video games already?” Kaito started with a smirk.

Akira looked almost surprised. Kaito didn’t get why.

"Say, wanna learn how to drive to Tokyo?”

“Why?”

“Why not? Just in case you ever need to run away from a cop—”

Kaito saw Akira wince and sighed for real this time.

“Fine. No jokes. But still, do you want to learn?” Kaito said casually. “Despite what mom and dad told me, I don’t believe you did it. I know you Akira.”

“You don’t know anything.”

Kaito knew that Akira didn’t mean it in any condescending way, but those words irritated him. Here he was being nice, only to have his offer slapped away like a bug.

“Fine. Get in the car then. The sooner we get to Tokyo, the better.”

.

.

.

Sometimes Akira didn’t understand his older brother. Kaito was a cocky, annoying, know-it-all king, the complete opposite of Akira himself. And yet, there were times Kaito surprised Akira. Sly little interactions that could really mean nothing more than what it was on the surface.

But Akira could see every hidden meaning.

By offering to teach Akira to drive, Kaito was pretty much saying that Akira was responsible, something no one would say to describe a criminal.

Akira hadn’t meant to reject the offer.

It was just...everyone said they _understood._ **He was angry, and they knew _why_ without even asking him as if the trouble he caused could all be labeled as teenage moodiness.** They only saw what they wanted to see, and that irritated him. Enough to take it out on his brother, who could rival the most easily offended cat.

The whole ride to Tokyo was tense, and he hated it. He hated the silence that stretched between him and his brother. He hated the way his brother kept his eyes directly on the road (because there were rarely times that Kaito wouldn’t brag about his superior 360 degree vision), and he hated how Kaito had both hands on the wheel instead of resting one on the shift stick.

But most of all, he hated himself for causing this mess to begin with.

.

.

.

When he first got his car, Kaito had gone on a road trip and perfected the art of cruise driving. Road trips demanded much of a driver’s energy, so being relaxed was the key to a good vacation. Driving from home back to Tokyo was anything but relaxing, and his aching muscles complained from how tense he was.

_I don’t want to die..._

The further he got into Tokyo, the worse the traffic got. This headache he had wasn’t helping his mood.

He sneaked a glance at Akira, who kept his gaze firmly out of the window as the city scenery passed by. He’s seen enough drama movies his shitty dorm mates watch to know that he had to fix this somehow, before it devolved into estrangement that lasted a decade.

Okay, so maybe he was exaggerating. Akira would never grow to be that mad, but Kaito knew his brother. Passiveness was his middle name, and Kaito could almost guess that if he didn't reach out, Akira wouldn't either.

The question was “how.”

By the time he reached the streets that would lead to Sojiro Sakura’s house, he still didn’t have an answer, and his headache got even worse.

Akira got out of the car wordlessly, and Kaito struggled for something to say.

Stay safe maybe? Don't get into trouble? Instead, he decided on something more neutral.

“Text me when you get settled,” he managed to get out.

Something relaxed inside him when Akira nodded lightly. Kaito watched him walk to the backstreets of Yongen.

.

.

.

Kaito swiped open his phone to see Akira’s chat window. The last message was sent a week ago.

**Akira:** I'm not living at the Sakura residence. I’m at Leblanc.

They had exchanged a brief call, where Akira explained that his temporary guardian allowed him to sleep in the attic of a cafe. After being reassured that no, it wasn't cramped, and yes, Sojiro Sakura was treating him with the barest minimum of civility, they had ended the call.

He had yet to talk to his brother since.

**Kaito:** Wanna hang out?

A few seconds later, his phone chirped a reply.

**Akira:** Where do you want to go?

**Kaito:** Shibuya Diner okay with you?

**Akira:** Sure.

.

.

.

“So how’s school?” Kaito asked, stirring his coffee. It was barely passable as a consumer product, but it was cheaper than the swill they sold at the university. He wasn’t complaining.

“Rumors got out that I’m a criminal,” Akira shrugged.

“Are you okay? Do I need to sneak in and beat up anyone?” Kaito frowned. When Akira managed to give him an amused look, Kaito decided that no, his brother could handle himself.

“It would be nice if you could punch the P.E. teacher a few times. His smug face gets on my nerves,” Akira responded.

_Prison bars, stone floors, and shadows...S H A D O W S E V E R Y W H E R E._

“Are you trying to get me to get a matching criminal record?” Kaito gasped in mock horror. To his relief, Akira only smirked back. The school rumors must’ve helped him develop some thick skin.

“I don’t know. Making my brother suffer my same mistakes...sounds tempting,” Akira said in a sing-song tone. “It’d be a shame if you got kicked out of Tokyo University though...”

“Oh ha, ha,” Kaito rolled his eyes. "So what's this about the P.E. teacher? Is he bullying you or something?"

"Or something," Akira nodded. "It's not really any of my business, but he likely abuses the volleyball team that he's responsible for. Not to mention, he constantly harasses the females of the school. Some of them seem okay with it, and they're really oblivious, but others who see it for what it is...they're uncomfortable."

"Wow. You should tell the principal," Kaito crossed his arms, occasionally uncrossing them to take a sip of coffee.

Akira gave him the look.

"Do you really think he would listen to a criminal like me? Plus, no one else is complaining, so they're just going to keep the status quo no matter what I say."

"Sucks to be you," Kaito snorted. "The P.E. teacher isn't bothering you though, is he?"

"Not really. Just got a few warnings."

"Good. Keep it that way. I'll call the principal, and if that doesn't work, I'll go to the education board. They're bound to find reason to fire him if the guy's really that bad," Kaito huffed. "Don't get into any more trouble alright?"

"Okay," Akira replied shortly, tone almost cheeky.

"I'm serious. Anything suspicious, you tell me right away."

"Yes sir," Akira smiled behind his cup.

Their conversation wound down a bit, and Kaito sighed. It was time to address the elephant in the room. 

“Akira...tell me what really happened that day.”

Akira took a sip of his own ordered coffee, eyes glinting. “I assaulted a man. Or at least, that’s what the accuser and only eye-witness said. The eye-witness was a woman who was being assaulted by the accuser. When I tried to help her, I pushed the man away. He was drunk, fell on his own, and decided to pin a little bloody wound on me. That’s all.”

Kaito set down his coffee cup and clenched his fists. A short puff of air left his lungs, and he raised one hand to comb his hair back roughly.

“You seem very carefree about it all. Aren’t you angry at all?”

Akira stared at him for a while before breaking out into a genuine smile. “You’re getting angry enough for me, brother.”

.

.

.

It was only a day after the Shibuya Diner visit with his brother that Kaito got a call from Mr. Sojiro.

"Hello?"

"Kaito?"

"Ah, Mr. Sojiro," Kaito greeted.

"Just Sojiro is fine. I'm calling about your brother," came the reply. "The authorities demand that I call them to update them about Akira, so I thought you would probably appreciate a call too."

"It is appreciated," Kaito nodded, even though Sojiro couldn't see him. "I know you've got your own life to live, but you've been really generous with how you took in Akira. Thank you."

"Shucks kid, I'm just doing what any decent person would. Anyway, your brother's been settling in fine. Other than being extremely late on the first day of school, he's done nothing else rule-breaking. He's coming home late though. I would assume club activities, and I told the authorities that much, but personally, I doubt it."

"What makes you say that?"

"As good as Shujin is at giving the kid a second chance, the school already knows he has a criminal record. He wouldn't have been able to join a club."

"So what's he doing after school?"

"It's what I want to ask him every day, but I honestly can't afford to care," Sojiro sighed. "He doesn't wreck my business, I'll let him have some freedom."

_Freedom. Jail keys, wardens, twins...Igor and not-Igor..._

"Freedom...yeah. Okay, thanks for calling, Mr. Sojiro. I'll talk to him about it next time I see him," Kaito said.

"Alright. Goodbye."

"Bye."

.

.

.

Two weeks after his talk with Sojiro, Kaito decided to use his meager free time to investigate his brother.

Well, less investigating and more confronting. As much as he was capable of snooping around Akira, it was his last resort. It was more likely than not that Akira would tell him anyway if he just asked.

So Kaito was leaning against the wall of an alleyway, watching as students strolled out. By the time the crowds were reduced to a trickle, Akira had yet to come out, and he was instantly suspicious.

He walked through the school gate—

_I don't want to die...I don't want to die...I don't want to **die**..._

"Ugnh," Kaito clutched his head, bracing one leg in front of the other to stop him from falling over the stairs.

A second later, the pain went away, along with the rest of the world.

Instead of the school, Kaito was inside a jail cell. The walls were an eerie blue velvet, and the door was locked. Rather than being locked in the conventional sense, however, it was covered in criss-crossing chains. There were so many metal links to the point that it covered most of the cell. Enough light seeped through the cracks so that he could see the back of an old man, two little girls, and...Akira?

Kaito blinked to make sure he was seeing things.

When he opened his eyes, it was gone, but that made it even more unbelievable. He was sure there was a prison!

Instead, he was in front of a huge castle.

He fainted.

.

.

.

_I don't want to die._

The voice was at the forefront of Kaito's mind, and he wanted to scream in frustration. He just wanted these nightmares and headaches to _stop_ —

And then he woke up in another prison cell.

However, instead of blue velvet walls, he was greeted with cold stone.

"The hell is going on...?"

He shook the jail door a bit, noting how it was a bit loose for the metal frames. He inspected the lock, and noted how juvenile and simple it was.

Taking out a thin knife he always kept on his person—it looked cool when opening letters—he fiddled with the lock. It clicked open only seconds later, giving Kaito a sort of smug satisfaction. When he walked out of the cell, that feeling soon fled away.

"Hey you! What are you doing out of your cell?!"

Kaito turned around to see a masked knight holding a spear and a shield.

"Uhmm...listen, there must have been some sort of mistake or—"

"Get back in your cell!"

"Hey, just hear me out—WOAH!"

Kaito ducked as the knight swung his spear at him. Or rather, he landed ungracefully on his behind, and proceeded to scramble away, scooting backwards to create a safe distance between him and the psycho.

"I'm not here to cause trouble, just let me go on my merry way—"

"You're trespassing on King Kamoshida's property! The penalty is death!"

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," Kaito huffed under his breath. As the lunatic rushed at him, he quickly got up and ran.

The clanking of metal followed him, and they seemed to multiply. When he turned his head, he almost tripped in surprised horror.

There were _more_ of them.

As Kaito ran, he feared that he would be trapped into a dead end, and the fear came true. In front of him was a rushing river, and behind him were the knights. To his left, a locked prison gate. To his right, a solid, unmovable wall.

He faced the knights, and wanted to step back, but the sound of the rushing rapids made Kaito pale.

_I don't want to die._

"Hnng!"

The crazy knights were saying something to him now, something about breaking and entering. Something about death penalty, something about raised security, and he would've paled with every word if another voice wasn't speaking to him as if on a megaphone inside his brain.

**It is not your desire, but you too want to live. However, is it truly living if you do not have full control of your life? Of your memories? Will you let this charlatan god manipulate you and yours? Remember who you are. Remember who I am. I am thou, thou art I...vow to me, together, we shall find freedom within the confines of an unbreakable cycle...!**

"Mercurius! Magarudyne!"

Strong gusts of wind slammed the knights—Shadows—into walls, knocking their masks off. Dozens of enemy targets, freed from the heavy armor, rushed at Kaito. He merely stepped to the side and let them charge into the rushing waters below. The way he dodged, the way he moved and pushed and slashed with his letter opener...there was something familiar about it.

Kaito let himself be lost in a combat dance, barely blinking when his blade slammed into the gut of a Pixie. The shadow dispersed in streams of black and red and—

It all came rushing back.

Mementos.

Fighting a God.

The Velvet Room.

And this was...Kamoshida's castle.

When the shadows all dispersed and nothing was left save for a lax security level, Kaito stared at his hands. Five fingers on each hand, usable thumbs clothed in white gloves...

They were hands that he—Kaito—grew up with, but he—Morgana—only saw them today. It was a strange feeling, mixed with masked terror at the familiar surroundings.

**Do you remember now?**

"Sadly," Kaito/Morgana/both of them nodded. "This wasn't how I wanted it to be. Sure, I wanted to be human. But...everything we did, gone. The justice we served, almost meaningless. Erased. Was it all in vain...?"

**Only if you want it to be. You have more power now, more control. The only way to go is forward.**

"You're right. Although that voice...the one that's been giving me headaches. It wasn't your voice, was it?"

**No. It is but an echo of an enemy.**

"Echo? You mean...Yaldabaoth? Why would he..."

**Does it matter?**

"Yes, but I suppose not right now. Sooner or later, we'll find Mementos and get the answers out of him," Kaito sighed, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his pants. His attire was a typical Metaverse get-up, equally ridiculous and suave in style. "For now, I want to see how my little brother managed to get through this castle without me. Or Morgana."

.

.

.

**EXTRA**

"It's...no use..." Panther gasped for air. "How are we gonna...get that treasure?!"

"Skull, do you think you could...get it? Up the balcony over there..." Joker huffed tiredly. "Panther and I will distract Kamoshida."

"You can count one me!" Skull breathed out, evening his oxygen intake.

As Panther unleashed an Agi with flames that seared across the room, blinding everyone, Skull dashed to the columns and hid among the fake foilage.

Joker brought out Pixie to do a little healing, but just as he erased a few scrapes and bruises Panther managed to acquire, Kamoshida attacked both of them with a volleyball attack.

Panther guarded against it with her arms crossed, but Joker, having been distracted, was knocked down.

"Joker!"

Both Panther and Skull shouted, but all Joker could hear was a gust of wind and then—

"Garudyne!"

Green-tinted air knocked the crown down, and Kamoshida moaned something out, but all Joker—Akira—could do was stare at their savior.

"Kaito...?"

"You better have a good explanation for this, Akira," Kaito snapped huffily. "Mercurius! Mediarahan."

Akira felt his dizziness wash away, and stood back up.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you but—"

"I know, I know," Kaito sighed. "Who would believe you anyway, right? Anyways, we've got a battle to finish. We'll talk about this later."

"Right."

Panther and Skull—who had come back from climbing the balcony after the crown was knocked off—stared at the newcomer weirdly, but said nothing.

They would have time later, and boy, did Kaito have a story to tell them.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally I was going to let Akira drive the car, and then almost crash, so I could fit another "I don't wanna die" headache for Kaito/Morgana lmao. But it just didn't fit. Too bad.
> 
> As for the ending, you can decide whether Kaito/Morgana tells them (or just Akira) everything or not. You can interpret it as "Morgana/Kaito tells them everything," or "Morgana/Kaito tells them a fake story as to why he knows about the Metaverse."


End file.
